#BuildBearHQ: Our shipping container DINER

£36,576

635

OMG - WOW - AMAZING -- TARGET REACHED

STRETCH GOALS

IF WE HIT £35K WE WILL BUY A CHEAP SECONDHAND BURGER BEAR VAN TO SAVE US £300pw

WE WILL ALSO BUY A DUTCH BIKE OR CHEAP MOPED FOR A POSSIBLE OFFICE DELIVERY SERVICE

IF WE HIT £40K THEN WE WILL BUY ANOTHER CONTAINER AND MAKE THE DINER BIGGER! JUST LIKE THAT!

THESE GOALS ARE NOT IMPORTANT BUT WOULD BE AMAZING TO MAKE THE MOST OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GROW. THANKS SO MUCH

HELLO! I'm Tom, the Burger Bear. This has been a year in the making and we are finally here. I love what I do, and I bring all of my passions together to create an amazing experience for all my customers.

It's not only a disco burger joint but a digital hub of activity. We love the Silicon Roundabout community in Shoreditch, we love tech and the start up revolution, we accept Crypto currency as payment as well as paper money and we want to use our space to grow this community. Where Dogecoin can be tipped via twitter to feed the homeless or Bitcoin paid by shaking a live wireless dongle made by a dude down the road... Cryptohub, BurgerHack, DiscoJoint! We want it!

I am rubbish at writing mind... So what better way to tell you about me and my good times burger joint than getting a customer to do it for me. Love Tom x

This bit of text by Christopher Clark, Burger Bear customer:

For those of you that don’t know Burger Bear – WHAT! You don’t know Burger Bear?! Well, let’s just say that Tom Reaney, the uber friendly creator of one of London’s most original, most beautiful burgers, the Bear behind the Bacon Jam is going big.

So why have you simply got to back this project? (Forget about the insane rewards for a moment) Well, first things first, do it for the burger! Cooked in a space-helmet. Smothered in Bacon Jam. Dripping with tender eat-me genius. Massaged with Disco. Crowned with prizes – the EatMeUp Burger Trophy, a Golden Patty award, now through four rounds and a front-runner for the London Burger Bash.

There are burgers and there are burgers. In the view of a humble regular and burger addict, Burger Bear is the last word.

Oh yeah, the project! Like all great things in life, it’s simple and it’s completely nuts: a burger joint in a double-decker shipping container, right bang where Shoreditch needs an electric shock. Expect panoramic views of Red Market and its street art from the glass-walled overhanging upper container. The vibe? Down and dirty street food, as ever. You can still take away like the good old days. And if you care to linger - downstairs or up - it’s a high-stalled, neon-lined, diner-style PARADISE! (the Burger Bear kind) ‘Disco’ll be pumping 24-7’ he says. ‘Love is the message’ he says. Craft beer and cocktails will amplify that message.

The interior will be built largely from second hand, reclaimed materials, by volunteers, so it’s as sustainable and cheap to do as feasibly possible. A lot of friends and family are about to kiss their weekends goodbye.

New menu designed by @DanWoodger will be featured at the new diner

Tom's friend's dad, a master carpenter, is helping with the design of the concept in return for free burgers (no one can resist them). When the time arrives to party outside, the side of the lower container swings up into an awning, creating an outdoor dining space. Crowning this ingenious structure – obviously - a gigantic spinning burger.

And you might just be funding a blueprint for some of the most playful burger joints across the world. Melbourne is on the cards. The Pole’s the limit.

Anyone who has been to “Burger Bear’s Picnic” in Peckham Palais - and slurped down Bacon Bourbons and Bacon Jam Martinis in a scented indoor forest - knows how mental this is going to be. “One day you might turn up at the container and it’ll be a jungle!” Tom tells me.

But the main reason to back this project is very simple. Burger Bear makes people smile. I mean, way before you’ve eaten his food. The disco; the epic dancing; Tom’s bounciness rain or shine (and always, always in a t-shirt); not to mention Horton Jupiter, Burger Bear’s mysterious DJ/Pop-star assistant – it just makes everyone smile. It’s superb. It’s an experience. It’s a blast of technicolour when you’re feeling grey. And this project spreads a bear-size grin across my face. It’s got to happen. And I for one am honoured to be part of it.

We love what we do... Can you tell?

Why we need £30,000?

We need to grow if Burger Bear is to survive as a brand. We can't survive on the streets alone. Rather than looking for private investors, banks or similar we want to grow organically.

We need a little help from our friends to keep the Burger Bear vibe alive and we don't want anyone but our customers having any say in the way we run our business.

This gives us the chance to grow and you the chance to be part of something really special. A burger joint, a meeting place, a unique disco destination like no other.

The money will be invested in 2 used shipping containers and all that is needed to build the venue on the Shoreditch site. And we will need to buy quality kitchen equipment so it doesn't break in a month. Hoping for a custom iron griddle!! We are keeping everything to a minimum but feel that £30k is the minimum amount needed to maximise potential.

*Burger Bear is an established business and the money will all go to building the venue, design, logistics and not to the provision of food or any other part of our business.

Sam Harvey - Director at Spinning Glass films. Consider what he had to work with, he did amazingly. One of my best friends ever!

The 3 Beards - 3 guys who give a shit about community, especially the community in East London's tech centre, Shoreditch. No end of support from them since Burger Bear launched.

Red Gallery - If it wasn't for the guys behind Red Gallery & Red Market, Burger Bear would not have this amazing opportunity to build a diner at all. Not to mention the continued support since we started out.

So many inspiring stories on Kickstarter and seeing some great people do great things has got me here too. Thanks to everyone who convinced me to do this. It's been a year of talking about it and here we are!

Risks and challenges

Burger Bear is, relatively speaking, a new business. However, I have 15 years experience in food, hospitality and events management, from which I bring valuable experience and expertise. In a short time, Burger Bear has gained a loyal and passionate regular customer base, with devotees often travelling across London and further for the food and experience. We know that Burger Bear has a significant following in East London, with trade at Red Market and other nearby spots very popular. In addition, we are lucky to have strong relationships with some very experienced food, business and design people, who are lending their expertise to us as we grow.

Although it is secure at present and for the foreseeable future, we cannot guarantee that the Red Market site will be available to Burger Bear forever, so what will happen if we have to move? This is exactly why we have chosen to convert shipping containers, creating a mobile structure that can be moved to another site in the future, should the need arise. In fact, we have other potential sites with an interest in housing us already. We have done our research around the rules and regulations for a project like this, on the initial site or if it has to move.

There are quite a few burger joints in London and around the world. Why will we succeed? Recently, various media, charts and competitions have indicated that Burger Bear's popularity is on the increase, and we are seeing this reflected in business terms. We are creative, passionate and extremely hard-working. We feel that the Burger Bear experience; the combination of excellent food made from quality ingredients, and music served up with our infectious energy and fun; is unique in London. We work hard to set ourselves apart. In addition, my marketing skills and out-of-the-box thinking in terms of promotion ensure that Burger Bear is kept on the map. I won't let Burger Bear be forgotten and I seriously deliver when people come.

What if customers lose interest or the 'burger bubble' bursts? I have consistently shown my creativity in terms of keeping the menu fresh and interesting, introducing specials alongside the firm favourites. At some events he is now serving a broader menu. With Burger Bear HQ being more than just a restaurant, there is scope to continue evolving the customer experience, not only with new and innovative menu items, but in terms of the overall experience and use of the space. Special events, like the legendary Peckham Palais forest, will now be able to happen in the diner, giving Burger Bear more creative control and reducing overheads.

Finally, I may be good at what I do, but how can backers be sure that I will succeed in making this container diner thing a reality? I have spent two years doing research and building a team of people with the knowledge and expertise to support and guide him in the project. Some of these, like the master carpenter, will give their time for free. Others, like the architect, have been costed in. I recognise the need for people with the very specific skills needed to make this happen, from choice of materials, to the design, to the build itself. I hold the vision, but I know where I need specialists.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £500 or more
About US$ 641

DESIGN YOUR OWN BURGER BEAR /// Come down the the Diner, get stuck in with all of our suppliers and bring your own ideas and we will design a burger together which you name and will feature on our menu for 1 month. We will showcase a new Kickstarter Special every month for a year! Months will be selected based on who bids first-last etc. Starting with May 2014

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £1,500 or more
About US$ 1,924

BURGER BEAR IN YOUR HOUSE (or Office)

We will basically bring the party to your place with our resident djs, our famous disco ball and our flavours. You and all your mates/colleagues can party the night away with your own Burger Bear Experience in you back garden, living room, office, roof

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £5,000 or more
About US$ 6,413

Burger Bear HQ Designed by You - You choose what colour our new home will be (colour of the 2 containers, whatever you like) and we will have a custom Bear cartoon made who looks just like you welcoming everyone in on the main door witha a message saying a direct thanks to you w/ your @Twitter handle! + A members card with access secret under the counter burgers, to claim at Burger Bear!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £5,000 or more
About US$ 6,413

I will go with you to a reputable tattoo artist studio and get your name, your @Twitter and a thank you plus the BB signature tattooed pretty much anywhere you like within reason.... Maybe even a picture of a burger

+ A members card with access secret under the counter burgers, to claim at Burger Bear! Hahaha I will choose the font however!